Waterloo Sept. 5 1847

My Dear, This paper again in spite of my
promise not to use it again. It is capital paper to write
upon. I am spending this Sunday in one of the
most delightful Quaker families that I ev-
er knew. There are four most beautiful
daughters in the family. Their intelligence &
refinements are equal to their beauty. They 
were formerly of Philadelphia & their names
are M'Clintock. I first became acquainted with
them about 4 years ago. I had well nigh lost
my heart among them at that time, & they are
exceedingly agreeable to me now. I wish you
could become acquainted with them. You don't
know how kind they are to me, & how much
they love me. I dont know but they wish
that I were not--- There is only one of them
an Associationist. She is, I think the truest
one, but not the most talented. They are de
lightfully loveable folks, & I wish you knew
how beautiful such an oasis is, to your poor
desert-wanderer. The names of these beautiful
sisters are Lizzy, Mary, Sarah & Julia. They
only need the ministry of music, to call forth
into expression, the deep calm beauty of
their natures, & which occasionally betrays
itself in the gentle glances of their large blue
					eyes.
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But dearest, from amidst all this sweet beauty my
spirit [strikethrough] soul [/strikethrough] breaks away an unwilling prisoner, & flies
to you. It compasses the wide distance between us
regardless of breaking the Sabbath, by making
so long a journey- & despite the threatnings a-
gainst those who commit that sin, I wish I c'd
be with you in the fulness of my being- person
ally as well as spiritually- but be of good cheer
I am on my way to you. My course is homeward
though it wend but slowly. I shall come to ye
in all this month. The opportunity for lectures
west of Rochester was so inauspicious that we
concluded, that but one of us ought to go so
far as buffalo. Mr Allen will fill the appoint
ments to the westward, & will likely go as
far as Cincinnatti. The best field of labor in
NY is eastward of Syracuse- I shall visit as
many of the places mentioned in my last let
ter to you, as I can between this and the [----]
there is ample opportunity for lectures through
out the whole of that region. Mr Allen is
going to Cincinnatti to see what the prospects
may be for our starting a paper, school
&c there. We have concluded to do that, as
the best thing possible for us & the Cause
We must devote ourselves to Association &
at the same time, secure to ourselves the
means of support. We have not as yet
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made any definite plans in relation
to it, but have the thing in contemplation
& Mr Allen goes to see what encouragement
there may be for us. We have had a very good
offer in Utica, but we do not wish to be so
near the Center in New York, as to interfere
with the circulation of The Harbinger. We
[underline] know [/underline] that we can publish a paper, that will
be serviceable to the cause, & which we think will
be both popular & profitable. We shall be
alternately lecturing all the while, and at
the same time corresponding with the papers
& obtaining subscribers for it. Allen will al
so see what encouragement there may be in
Cincinnatti for the Associative School, which
you & the Schetters talked about. We are deter
mined now to place ourselves upon an indep
endent basis, as to a living, so that it shall not
depend upon the contingencies of any Society's
treasury, whether or not we may labor in
Association's behalf, to which service our
lives are pledged. The result of his observa
tions in Ohio must determine our course-
I have seen Davis's  book & read it somewhat
What a production it is too. He is grand in his
thought, profound in his philosophy, rational
in his religion, Fourieristic in his cosmog
ony & theory of Society, & calm dignified &
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liberal, whilst he is [irresitible?] in his criticism
upon the existing social institutions. Whatever
may be said of the conditions under which
he is said to have dictated it, it cannot fail
of doing immense good. I dont care what were
the circumstances under which it was written
, it must be judged of by its intrinsic merits
& the philosophy which it unfolds must be
tested by the Court of positive science. I have not
as yet got any [underline] new [/underline] ideas from it. He seems to
have stated in a very clean & happy manner
those great principles which Fourier has un
folded by mathematical formulas- & wch
Swedenborg revealed in a mystical style
& which were perverted somewhat, in passing through
the medium of his early prejudices.
But to this book must be accredited the honor
of containing the profoundest system of phil
osophy combined with the loftiest eloquence
& sublimest poetry of any book which has
appeared for ages, excepting always Fourier's.
But you have doubtless seen it & heard a
great deal said of its merits. What say The
Harbinger editors of it. By the way I have not
got but one number of that paper since
leaving home & that was at Syracuse. It
is curious, I think, & the one I asked John
to send me, has not come to hand either
But I got along without it.
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I lectured here last evening to a small au-
dience, & am to speak again this evening-
I have not much hope of affecting any-
thing important here, but in as much as my
expenses were paid from Rochester, I was glad
to come here. I [----] expect to lecture at
Seneca Falls 3 miles from here tomorrow eve-
ning & till Wednesday evening, but if not
I shall go directly to King's Ferry where I
shall spend ten days or more.
It is nearly time for meeting & I must close
for the sake of a few moments of reflection
before-hand. I am anxious to hear how you
are. Your letter to Batavia I shall not get un
til I reach King's Ferry where I told Allen
to forward it. & that is not best to go to Ba
Tavia although Mr B's father sent us a pass
over the rail-road from Rochester to his place
You will have sent me another letter to
King's Ferry ere I get there. I am anxious to
hear from mother from both mothers in
deed. Give her my love & earnest gratitude
for her kindness to you & also to all our fam
ily. I am pretty well though tired beyond
measure. No one can tell without trial the
the exhausting & fatiguing labors of a lecturer
It is [underline] everlasting [/underline] talk. O be loving quiet & thought
ful & beautiful    Ever your dearest John

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[address]

Mrs John Orvis
	Brook Farm
		West Roxbury
			Mass